Batman Issue 4
Synopsis "The Case of the Joker's Crime Circus" The last time we saw The Joker, Batman knocked him off a ship's railing. He survived and got a ride to shore. He returns to his hideout, an old haunted house, and gloats over the fact he survived. Two months pass, and The Dynamic Duo are out patrolling one night. The get in a battle with a band of thieves they saw leaving a house, but are defeated because one very strong thief overpowerers both of them. Another estate is robbed, and Bruce is invited to a party at a felllow socialite's home. At the party, there is a circus show with acrobats, a strong man, and a clown that Bruce Wayne notes looks familiar to him. That night, the performers go back to their haunted house and it's revealed they are The Joker and his thieves. Three days later, Bruce learns the people whose party he'd went to had been robbed. He then realizes each house that has the circus show performed is robbed after. That night, The Joker is preparing for another circus show. In the middle of the show, The Dynamic Duo smash through the window. They attack the performers, and Robin takes down all of the acrobats. Batman confronts Ajax, the strong man who had defeated him before, and knocks him out. As the circus clown is escaping, Batman realizes it's The Joker. They follow the clown to his haunted house hideout. Joker uses booby traps to attempt to scare The Dynamic Duo. When he realizes it's no use, he pops out of a trick wall and grabs Robin. Batman is tricked into a room and is locked into it. The Joker torments him by projecting his giant, laughing head floating in midair. The Batman destroys the projector causing the image, and The Joker informs him he will project deadly laughing gas in the room causing Batman's death. The Batman uses two vials from his utility belt to explode the door. He then battles Joker, who is knocked into a trap door. He plummets down a chute leading to the sewage waters running beneath the mansion. "Blackbeard's Crew and the Yacht Society" A band of pirates hijacks a yacht of wealthy people and takes them hostage in their own pirate ship. Batman and Robin climb aboard and briefly fight, before being thrown overboard. While the pirates think they are dead, the Dynamic Duo sneak back onto the ship and battle again. Blackbeard is eventually defeated and revealed to be a gangster named Thatch in disguise. Satisfied with their work, Batman and Robin free the people, take Thatch in, and return home. "Public Enemy No. 1 Starts Jail Sentence" The tragic tale of Jimmy "Red" McCoy, public enemy number 1. As a child, Jimmy McCoy's father dies and Jimmy is forced to quit school to help support himself and his mother. Sadly, that is not enough even with Jimmy' mother taking in laundry to make money, so Jimmy turns to bootlegging. Proving that crime doesn't pay, soon Jimmy is caught and sent to a reformatory for young boys. At the sentencing Jimmy's mother is so distraught that she dies in the courtroom with Jimmy's name on her lips. Released at 18 years old, Jimmy goes back to a life of crime blaming the justice system for his mother's death. He goes back into bootlegging and rises to become a crime kingpin. The repeal of prohibition doesn't stop Jimmy's rise, but soon his carelessness leads to a ten year incarceration. After ten years Jimmy returns to the streets intent on taking back his crime empire. "Big" Costello stepped into the void left by Jimmy's capture and ten year sentence and soon a gang war breaks out with each man jockeying for position as the sole kingpin of crime. Their war hits its climax at the Penguin Club, where a shootout begins. Batman, who has been watching Jimmy closely since his most recent release from jail, and Robin intervene and bring the fight to en end. Jimmy escapes and "Big" Costello is taken in for questioning. Impulsive and vengeful, Jimmy goes to the courthouse where Costello is being questioned with the intent of killing him before he can share any information with the police. Another shootout takes place on the courtroom steps, but this time Batman and Robin cannot stop the fight in time to save Jimmy's life and he dies in the gutter with nothing but his crimes to be remembered by. "Touchdown for Justice" Batman foils an attack on Tim Bannon coach of the football team scheduled to play the team owned by a thug named Stacy. Batman deduces that Stacey is behind the attack as he has heard Stacy has a lot of money on the outcome of the game. Stacy hears that Batman got involved and decides he needs to get him out of the way, Stacy comes to the conclusion that Bruce Wayne is Batman and comes up with a plan. The next morning Wayne receives an anonymous call stating that the caller is in danger, the caller says he knows Wayne is Batman and asks him to attend an address the following night. Batman obliges, it's a trap. Batman and Robin escape and leave the pursuers to a barn on the edge of town however when Stacy's men enter the barn it is empty. Stacey's men watch Wayne through the window of his house and at the same time Batman shows up. It turns out there is a tunnel from the barn to Wayne's house and the thugs saw a dummy of Wayne being operated by Robin but Stacy is now convinced Wayne is not Batman. Batman pays a visit to the Quarterback of Stacy opposition team, only to find him missing and his room mate stabbed to death. Batman decides to take the Quarterback's place in the game. The game starts and Robin follows Stacy who leads him to where the quarterback is being held. The thugs try and shoot Robin but Stacy is accidently hit. Robin frees the quarterback. Meanwhile at the game Batman scores a touchdown. At half time Batman switches with the real quarterback. Wayne and Grayson watch the rest of the match from the stands. Appearances "The Case of the Joker's Crime Circus" Individuals *Batman *Robin *The Joker *Ajax *Tino Locations *Gotham City (First Identified as Gotham) **Wayne Manor "Blackbeard's Crew and the Yacht Society" Individuals *Batman *Robin *Blackbeard *Mr. Horn *Stanley *Elaine *Mr. Cowden *Henry Locations *Gotham City **Wayne Manor Vehicles *Batplane "Public Enemy No. 1 Starts Jail Sentence" Individuals *Batman *Robin *Gangster "Big" Costello *Gangster Jimmy "Red" McCoy Locations *Gotham City **Wayne Manor "Touchdown for Justice" Individuals *Batman *Robin *Stacy *Tim Bannon *Stockton Locations *Gotham City **Wayne Manor Batman Issue 004